"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you, when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

"One of the reasons you're seeing the oversight committees move forward with trying to pursue the full report is they just want to keep the investigations going. It is very unlikely that we will learn something in the unredacted report that will fundamentally change either public opinion or understanding about what happened here. But these committees feel like it is their responsibility. They are the legislative branch. They are a check on the executive branch. They feel like it's their responsibility to push forward, take the next step, get the unredacted report. "

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

++NOTE GRAPHIC LANGUAGE++

12. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page

13. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER"

14. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...

15. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...."

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

17. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report

18. President Trump and Melania depart White House

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you, when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

"One of the reasons you're seeing the oversight committees move forward with trying to pursue the full report is they just want to keep the investigations going. It is very unlikely that we will learn something in the unredacted report that will fundamentally change either public opinion or understanding about what happened here. But these committees feel like it is their responsibility. They are the legislative branch. They are a check on the executive branch. They feel like it's their responsibility to push forward, take the next step, get the unredacted report. "

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

++NOTE GRAPHIC LANGUAGE++

12. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page

13. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER"

14. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...

15. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...."

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

17. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report

18. President Trump and Melania depart White House

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you, when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

11. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER" (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

12. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...." (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

13. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a... (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

President Donald Trump's lead lawyer in the special counsel's Russia investigation resigned Thursday, shaking up the legal team just as the president intensifies his attacks on a probe he calls nothing more than a witch hunt.

Associated Press Justice Department reporter Eric Tucker said the resignation might have something to do with clashes between John Dowd and Trump in the Mueller investigation.

"Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive," Tucker said, "So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

The departure of attorney John Dowd removes the primary negotiator and legal strategist who had been molding Trump's defense. It also comes just days after the Trump legal team added a new lawyer, former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova, who has alleged on television that FBI officials were involved in a "brazen plot" to exonerate Hillary Clinton in the email investigation and to "frame" Trump for nonexistent crimes.

Dowd confirmed his decision in an email to The Associated Press, saying, "I love the President and wish him well." Dowd said he made the decision voluntarily and he denied reports that his departure had to do with Trump ignoring his legal advice. He said he formally resigned Thursday morning.

It already was a delicate time in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as Trump's attorneys, including Dowd, have been negotiating with Mueller over the scope and terms of an interview of the president. Trump has told reporters that he was eager to speak with Mueller, but Dowd has been far more apprehensive, and the lawyers have not publicly committed to making Trump available for questioning.

Asked Thursday whether he still wants to speak with Mueller's team, Trump told reporters, "Yes, I would like to."

Dowd's exit nearly a year into Mueller's investigation threatens to undo the cooperation between prosecutors and Trump's lawyers and may herald a stark shift in strategy as the probe reaches closer into the White House and the president's inner circle.

Over the weekend, Dowd issued a statement calling for an end to special counsel's investigation. The White House and later Dowd had to clarify the statement, saying the president's legal team wasn't calling for Mueller to be fired.

But Trump has upped his public attacks on Mueller.

In a series of tweets since last week, the president has said that the probe never should have started, that it was based on "fraudulent activities," that it was a "WITCH HUNT" and that it is being led by "13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 10 May 2011

1. STILL Attorney John Dowd leaves building with his client co-founder of Galleon hedge fund group Raj Rajaratnam

"So John Dowd is the lead defense lawyer on Donald Trump's legal team. And we learned today that he has resigned effective immediately from that team, so he's no longer going to be representing the president."

"So this is really significant because we are now 10 months into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. There have been a lot of negotiations back and forth led by John Dowd as to whether or not the president will sit down for interview with Mueller and his team. And so now it's unclear what the next step is going to be, because basically the point person and lead negotiator and point of contact for Mueller's team is no longer calling the shots."

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

6. SCREENGRAB of Donald Trump homepage on Twitter

7. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!"

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 17 March 2018

8. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!"

"Last weekend we noticed a real notable shift in the way the president and his legal team has been talking about Special Counsel Robert Mueller. So in the past there's been lots of public overtures and gestures of cooperation. They've spoken warmly about the special counsel in his work. And this time, for the first time, this weekend for the first time we saw John Dowd basically call on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to shut down the investigation. He had initially said he was speaking for the president, he later said he was not. And the White House on Sunday had to clarify that there were no plans to try to terminate the investigation."

"So I think there's been a degree of consternation back and forth within the legal community over certain decisions and actions from Dowd and the legal team. There's been obviously a divide as to whether or not the president is gonna speak with Mueller. So you'll remember that in January, Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive, and his lawyers, Trump's lawyers have not publicly committed in any way to any sort of interview. They say those are ongoing negotiations. So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

12. President Donald Trump walks out of Treaty Room as reporters shout questions

13. UPSOUND: Reporter:

"Mr. President, would you still like to testify to special counsel Robert Mueller, sir?"

"One other thing that I would note is that the Trump legal team has been looking to try to add to its ranks. So they have reached out to a very prominent Washington lawyer, a litigator by the name of Ted Olson who argued the Bush v. Gore case 2000 before the U.S. Supreme Court. And he's argued the California gay rights case, same sex marriage case. He turned them down. And so I would not be surprised if there is another attorney who they try to reach out to."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 28 September 2017

17. STILL Various Former United States Solicitor General Ted Olson at the installation ceremony for FBI director Chris Wray

"They did hire on Monday a former United States attorney named Joe diGenova who's going to be working on the Trump legal team. And one thing that diGenova is notable for is an interview with Fox News from January in which he basically said the FBI officials were part of a brazen plot to exonerate Hillary Clinton and frame Donald Trump for a fictional, nonexistent crime. So that gives you a flavor of where the defense legal strategy might be going."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

20. Various Trump speaking in the House Treaty Room about imposing tariffs on Chinese imports

President Donald Trump's lead lawyer in the special counsel's Russia investigation resigned Thursday, shaking up the legal team just as the president intensifies his attacks on a probe he calls nothing more than a witch hunt.

Associated Press Justice Department reporter Eric Tucker said the resignation might have something to do with clashes between Dowd and Trump in the Mueller investigation.

"Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive," Tucker said, "So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

The departure of attorney John Dowd removes the primary negotiator and legal strategist who had been molding Trump's defense. It also comes just days after the Trump legal team added a new lawyer, former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova, who has alleged on television that FBI officials were involved in a "brazen plot" to exonerate Hillary Clinton in the email investigation and to "frame" Trump for nonexistent crimes.

Dowd confirmed his decision in an email to The Associated Press, saying, "I love the President and wish him well." Dowd said he made the decision voluntarily and he denied reports that his departure had to do with Trump ignoring his legal advice. He said he formally resigned Thursday morning.

It already was a delicate time in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as Trump's attorneys, including Dowd, have been negotiating with Mueller over the scope and terms of an interview of the president. Trump has told reporters that he was eager to speak with Mueller, but Dowd has been far more apprehensive, and the lawyers have not publicly committed to making Trump available for questioning.

Asked Thursday whether he still wants to speak with Mueller's team, Trump told reporters, "Yes, I would like to."

Dowd's exit nearly a year into Mueller's investigation threatens to undo the cooperation between prosecutors and Trump's lawyers and may herald a stark shift in strategy as the probe reaches closer into the White House and the president's inner circle.

Over the weekend, Dowd issued a statement calling for an end to special counsel's investigation. The White House and later Dowd had to clarify the statement, saying the president's legal team wasn't calling for Mueller to be fired.

But Trump has upped his public attacks on Mueller.

In a series of tweets since last week, the president has said that the probe never should have started, that it was based on "fraudulent activities," that it was a "WITCH HUNT" and that it is being led by "13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters."

++SOUNDBITES PARTIALLY COVERED BY VIDEO++

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 10 May 2011

1. STILL Attorney John Dowd leaves building with his client co-founder of Galleon hedge fund group Raj Rajaratnam

"So John Dowd is the lead defense lawyer on Donald Trump's legal team. And we learned today that he has resigned effective immediately from that team, so he's no longer going to be representing the president. So this is really significant because we are now 10 months into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. There have been a lot of negotiations back and forth led by John Dowd as to whether or not the president will sit down for interview with Mueller and his team. And so now it's unclear what the next step is going to be, because basically the point person and lead negotiator and point of contact Miller's team is no longer calling the shots."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 23 May 2007

4. STILL Various Dowd with client White House liaison Monica Goodling

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

5. SCREENGRAB of Donald Trump homepage on Twitter

6. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!"

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 17 March 2018

7. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!"

"Last weekend we noticed a real notable shift in the way the president and his legal team has been talking about Special Counsel Robert Mueller. So in the past there's been lots of public overtures and gestures of cooperation. They've spoken warmly about the special counsel in his work. And this time, for the first time, this weekend for the first time we saw John Dowd basically call on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to shut down the investigation. He had initially said he was speaking for the president, he later said he was not. And the White House on Sunday had to clarify that there were no plans to try to terminate the investigation."

"There's been obviously a divide as to whether or not the president is gonna speak with Mueller. So you'll remember that in January, Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive, and his lawyers, Trump's lawyers have not publicly committed in any way to any sort of interview. They say those are ongoing negotiations. So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2018

11. President Donald Trump walks out of Treaty Room as reporters shout questions

12. UPSOUND: Reporter:

"Mr. President, would you still like to testify to special counsel Robert Mueller, sir?"

"One other thing that I would note is that the Trump legal team has been looking to try to add to its ranks. So they have reached out to a very prominent Washington lawyer, a litigator by the name of Ted Olson who argued the Bush v. Gore case 2000 before the U.S. Supreme Court. And he's argued the California gay rights case, same sex marriage case. He turned them down. And so I would not be surprised if there is another attorney who they try to reach out to."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 28 September 2017

16. STILL Various Former United States Solicitor General Ted Olson at the installation ceremony for FBI director Chris Wray

"They did hire on Monday a former United States attorney named Joe diGenova who's going to be working on the Trump legal team. And one thing that diGenova is notable for is an interview with Fox News from January in which he basically said the FBI officials were part of a brazen plot to exonerate Hillary Clinton and frame Donald Trump for a fictional, nonexistent crime. So that gives you a flavor of where the defense legal strategy might be going."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2018

19. Various Trump speaking in the House Treaty Room about imposing tariffs on Chinese imports

U.S. President Donald Trump's lead lawyer in the special counsel's Russia investigation resigned Thursday, shaking up the legal team just as the president intensifies his attacks on a probe he calls nothing more than a witch hunt.

Associated Press Justice Department reporter Eric Tucker said the resignation might have something to do with clashes between John Dowd and Trump in the Mueller investigation.

"Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive," Tucker said, "So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

The departure of attorney John Dowd removes the primary negotiator and legal strategist who had been moulding Trump's defence. It also comes just days after the Trump legal team added a new lawyer, former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova, who has alleged on television that FBI officials were involved in a "brazen plot" to exonerate Hillary Clinton in the email investigation and to "frame" Trump for nonexistent crimes.

Dowd confirmed his decision in an e-mail to The Associated Press, saying, "I love the President and wish him well." Dowd said he made the decision voluntarily and he denied reports that his departure had to do with Trump ignoring his legal advice. He said he formally resigned Thursday morning.

It already was a delicate time in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as Trump's attorneys, including Dowd, have been negotiating with Mueller over the scope and terms of an interview of the president. Trump has told reporters that he was eager to speak with Mueller, but Dowd has been far more apprehensive, and the lawyers have not publicly committed to making Trump available for questioning.

Asked Thursday whether he still wants to speak with Mueller's team, Trump told reporters, "Yes, I would like to."

Dowd's exit nearly a year into Mueller's investigation threatens to undo the co-operation between prosecutors and Trump's lawyers and may herald a stark shift in strategy as the probe reaches closer into the White House and the president's inner circle.

Over the weekend, Dowd issued a statement calling for an end to special counsel's investigation. The White House and later Dowd had to clarify the statement, saying the president's legal team wasn't calling for Mueller to be fired.

But Trump has upped his public attacks on Mueller.

In a series of tweets since last week, the president has said that the probe never should have started, that it was based on "fraudulent activities," that it was a "WITCH HUNT" and that it is being led by "13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 10 May 2011

1. STILL Attorney John Dowd leaves building with his client co-founder of Galleon hedge fund group Raj Rajaratnam

"So John Dowd is the lead defence lawyer on Donald Trump's legal team. And we learned today that he has resigned effective immediately from that team, so he's no longer going to be representing the president."

"So this is really significant because we are now 10 months into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. There have been a lot of negotiations back and forth led by John Dowd as to whether or not the president will sit down for interview with Mueller and his team. And so now it's unclear what the next step is going to be, because basically the point person and lead negotiator and point of contact for Mueller's team is no longer calling the shots."

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

6. SCREENGRAB of Donald Trump home page on Twitter

7. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!"

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 17 March 2018

8. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!"

"Last weekend we noticed a real notable shift in the way the president and his legal team has been talking about Special Counsel Robert Mueller. So in the past there's been lots of public overtures and gestures of co-operation. They've spoken warmly about the special counsel in his work. And this time, for the first time, this weekend for the first time we saw John Dowd basically call on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to shut down the investigation. He had initially said he was speaking for the president, he later said he was not. And the White House on Sunday had to clarify that there were no plans to try to terminate the investigation."

"So I think there's been a degree of consternation back and forth within the legal community over certain decisions and actions from Dowd and the legal team. There's been obviously a divide as to whether or not the president is gonna speak with Mueller. So you'll remember that in January, Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive, and his lawyers, Trump's lawyers have not publicly committed in any way to any sort of interview. They say those are ongoing negotiations. So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2018

12. President Donald Trump walks out of Treaty Room as reporters shout questions

13. UPSOUND: Reporter:

"Mr. President, would you still like to testify to special counsel Robert Mueller, sir?"

"One other thing that I would note is that the Trump legal team has been looking to try to add to its ranks. So they have reached out to a very prominent Washington lawyer, a litigator by the name of Ted Olson who argued the Bush v. Gore case 2000 before the U.S. Supreme Court. And he's argued the California gay rights case, same sex marriage case. He turned them down. And so I would not be surprised if there is another attorney who they try to reach out to."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 28 September 2017

17. STILL Various Former United States Solicitor General Ted Olson at the installation ceremony for FBI director Chris Wray

"They did hire on Monday a former United States attorney named Joe diGenova who's going to be working on the Trump legal team. And one thing that diGenova is notable for is an interview with Fox News from January in which he basically said the FBI officials were part of a brazen plot to exonerate Hillary Clinton and frame Donald Trump for a fictional, nonexistent crime. So that gives you a flavour of where the defence legal strategy might be going."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 22 March 2018

20. Various Trump speaking in the House Treaty Room about imposing tariffs on Chinese imports

"..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!"

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. Screengrab of Donald Trump tweet about Russian collusion (English)

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to beging the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!"

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3.Screengrab of Donald Trump tweet about Paul Manafort (English)

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

STORYLINE:

US President Donald Trump called Wednesday for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to put an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, a day after Trump's former campaign chairman went on trial.

Taking to Twitter to complain about the ongoing Russia investigation, Trump said Sessions "should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further."

The relationship between Sessions and the president has been strained for more than a year, since the attorney general recused himself from investigations relating to the 2016 election because of Sessions' role on the Trump campaign. Mueller's team is accountable to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Tuesday marked the first day of Paul Manafort's trial on charges of tax evasion and bank fraud brought by Mueller's team, charges that stemmed from Manafort's consulting work for Ukraine, for which he allegedly received millions he did not report to the U.S. government.

Seeking to distance himself from his ex-campaign chairman, Trump said, "He worked for me for a very short time."

But Manafort's involvement in the Trump campaign spanned six months, and he led efforts to secure the GOP nomination for Trump in 2016.

Trump said the charges against Manafort "have nothing to do with Collusion." Potential coordination between Russian government agents and the Trump campaign is still a matter of investigation by Mueller's team, which is also investigating potential obstruction of justice by the president. Trump called claims of collusion "a Hoax."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

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"..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

2. Screengrab of Donald Trump tweet about Russian collusion (English)

"Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to beging the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!"

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3.Screengrab of Donald Trump tweet about Paul Manafort (English)

"Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn't government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!"

STORYLINE:

President Donald Trump called Wednesday for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to put an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, a day after Trump's former campaign chairman went on trial.

Taking to Twitter to complain about the ongoing Russia investigation, Trump said Sessions "should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further."

The relationship between Sessions and the president has been strained for more than a year, since the attorney general recused himself from investigations relating to the 2016 election because of Sessions' role on the Trump campaign. Mueller's team is accountable to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Tuesday marked the first day of Paul Manafort's trial on charges of tax evasion and bank fraud brought by Mueller's team, charges that stemmed from Manafort's consulting work for Ukraine, for which he allegedly received millions he did not report to the U.S. government.

Seeking to distance himself from his ex-campaign chairman, Trump said, "He worked for me for a very short time."

But Manafort's involvement in the Trump campaign spanned six months, and he led efforts to secure the GOP nomination for Trump in 2016.

Trump said the charges against Manafort "have nothing to do with Collusion." Potential coordination between Russian government agents and the Trump campaign is still a matter of investigation by Mueller's team, which is also investigating potential obstruction of justice by the president. Trump called claims of collusion "a Hoax."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

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President Donald Trump says it's "disgraceful" that a list of questions the special counsel investigating Russian election interference wants to ask him have become public.

The New York Times late Monday published the nearly four dozen questions to Trump's lawyers. The questions range from Trump's motivations for firing FBI Director James Comey last May to contacts Trump campaign officials had with Russians.

AP Reporter Eric Tucker gives context to this latest development in the story about the Russia investigation. Tucker says the Mueller investigation is moving at a fairly rapid pace.

"There have been negotiations for months between the president's lawyers and Mueller's team about the scope and conditions and terms of any possible interview," he says.

"There has been no agreement set."

According to the newspaper, many of the questions center on the obstruction issue, including Trump's reaction to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recusal from the Russia investigation, a decision Trump has angrily criticized.

"One thing that's really important about this investigation is so much comes down to state of mind and intent, so that the actions themselves may not be criminal," said Tucker.

"But what special counsel Mueller is really trying to do is figure out what was in the president's head when he committed certain acts."

Trump tweeted Tuesday that it is "so disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were 'leaked' to the media. No questions on Collusion. Oh, I see...you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!"

The questions also touch on the Russian meddling and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin in any way.

Trump says the investigation is a "witch hunt" and insists his campaign did not collude with Russia.

"I think it is clear that this investigation is going to continue," Tucker said.

"We're at a very critical stage of the investigation right now. There have been negotiations for months between the president's lawyers and Mueller's team about the scope and conditions and terms of any possible interview. There has been no agreement set. And so it is interesting that these questions are coming out and being provided to The New York Times at the moment that they are."

"One thing that is notable about the questions is the sheer number. We're talking dozens of questions. So it's not just a question of having just three or four queries that they want to knock out and be done with. This is pretty in-depth, and I would say that it covers such a broad gamut of campaign transition and presidential issues, and that I think is notable and striking. One thing that is not surprising is that most of the questions seems to be dedicated to the question of did the president obstruct justice when he fired Director Comey when he sought to pressure Jeff Sessions his attorney general not to recuse. So we do see a lot of focus on obstruction. But there's clearly still an interest from the president, from Mueller, excuse me, in trying to understand what the president knew about any sort of contacts anyone in his campaign was having with Russia."

"We are in sort of uncharted territory. But there's nothing that precludes, or is extraordinary, about a government investigator telling a potential subject, here's the evidence and information we've gleaned before we close out this investigation, we need to understand your perspective on this. And one thing that's really important about this investigation is so much comes down to state of mind and intent, so that the actions themselves may not be criminal. But what special counsel Mueller is really trying to do is figure out what was in the president's head when he committed certain acts. When he fired Jim Comey, which is an act that in theory should be 100 percent perfectly legal, did he do that with the corrupt intent, which would be to stymie the Russia investigation."

"It did not surprise me the president's reaction because I think one thing that the president does seem to like, although he complains about, are leaks. Because when information leaks, it allows him to point the finger at the government and say look at what unfair witch hunt this is that they can't keep their mouth shut about a secret investigation."

TWITTER - @realDonald Trump

1 May 2018

12. Frame grab of Donald Trump tweet (English) "So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russia Witch Hunt were "leaked" to the media. No questions on Collusion. Oh, I see...you have a mad up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!"

TWITTER - @realDonald Trump

1 May 2018

13. Framegrab of Trump Tweet (English)

"It would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened! Witch Hunt!

"That is the million dollar question of what would happen if he refuses. One thing that Mueller could theoretically do is seek a grand jury subpoena that would try to compel the President's testimony. That's a very incredible aggressive extraordinary move to try to subpoena and compel the testimony of a sitting president.

"I think it will really depend on how much Mueller really feels he needs the statements. It is possible he could say you know what I have a lot of information without your statements and I'm ready to move forward. Whether you speak to me or not."

"As we await the details of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the White House uncharacteristically quiet as President Trump arrived here to his Palm Beach estate Mar a Lago Friday. And as of Saturday midday no tweets in reaction from President Trump. Sarah Sanders only tweet saying that the White House has not been briefed on the details of the report. But what we do know is that President Trump was in attendance of a Republican fundraiser last night at his estate, Mar-a-Lago. And reportedly Lindsey Graham made comments criticizing key aspects of this nearly two years long probe. But what's next for the president as he's expected to return to Washington on Sunday. And it is unclear whether or not the details of the Mullar investigation will be released before President Trump returns to Washington from Florida."

US NETWORK POOL - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Palm Beach, Florida - 22 March 2019

2. US President Donald Trump walks down the stairs of Air Force One

3. Trump shaking hands with supporters

TWITTER - @PressSec

Internet - 22 March 2019

4. Tweet (English) Sara Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

"The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr, and we look forward to the process taking its course. The White House has not received or has been briefed on the Special Counsel's report."

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

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"As we await the details of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the White House uncharacteristically quiet as President Trump arrived here to his Palm Beach estate Mar a Lago Friday."

US NETWORK POOL - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Palm Beach, Florida - 22 March 2019

4. US President Donald Trump walks down the stairs of Air Force One

5. Trump shaking hands with supporters

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Palm Beach, Florida - 23 March 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Replogle, Associated Press:

"And as of Saturday midday no tweets in reaction from President Trump. Sarah Sanders only tweet saying that the White House has not been briefed on the details of the report. But what we do know is that President Trump was in attendance of a Republican fundraiser last night at his estate, Mar-a-Lago. And reportedly Lindsey Graham made comments criticizing key aspects of this nearly two years long probe."

TWITTER - @PressSec

Internet - 22 March 2019

7. Tweet (English) Sara Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

"The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr, and we look forward to the process taking its course. The White House has not received or has been briefed on the Special Counsel's report."

9. Senator Lindsey Graham speaks during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on oversight of Customs and Border Protection's response to human smuggling at southern border

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Palm Beach, Florida - 23 March 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Replogle, Associated Press:

"But what's next for the president as he's expected to return to Washington on Sunday. And it is unclear whether or not the details of the Mullar investigation will be released before President Trump returns to Washington from Florida."

11. President Trump's motorcade returning to Mar-a-Lago from golf at Trump International Golf Club

12. Palm Beach businesses and highrise buildings with water in the foreground

STORYLINE:

One day after Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded his Russia investigation, President Donald Trump spent Saturday in Palm Beach, at his estate Mar-a-Lago and golfing at his golf club.

Trump has relentlessly criticized Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt" but was uncharacteristically quiet after the revelation Friday night that there are no additional indictments from Mueller.

Instead the White House sought to keep some distance, saying it had not seen or been briefed on the report.

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

"As we await the details of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the White House uncharacteristically quiet as President Trump arrived here to his Palm Beach estate Mar a Lago Friday."

US NETWORK POOL - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Palm Beach, Florida - 22 March 2019

4. US President Donald Trump walks down the stairs of Air Force One

5. Trump shaking hands with supporters

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Palm Beach, Florida - 23 March 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Replogle, Associated Press:

"And as of Saturday midday no tweets in reaction from President Trump. Sarah Sanders only tweet saying that the White House has not been briefed on the details of the report. But what we do know is that President Trump was in attendance of a Republican fundraiser last night at his estate, Mar-a-Lago. And reportedly Lindsey Graham made comments criticizing key aspects of this nearly two years long probe."

TWITTER - @PressSec

Internet - 22 March 2019

7. Tweet (English) Sara Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

"The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr, and we look forward to the process taking its course. The White House has not received or has been briefed on the Special Counsel's report."

9. Senator Lindsey Graham speaks during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on oversight of Customs and Border Protection's response to human smuggling at southern border

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Palm Beach, Florida - 23 March 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Replogle, Associated Press:

"But what's next for the president as he's expected to return to Washington on Sunday. And it is unclear whether or not the details of the Mullar investigation will be released before President Trump returns to Washington from Florida."

11. President Trump's motorcade returning to Mar-a-Lago from golf at Trump International Golf Club

12. Palm Beach businesses and highrise buildings with water in the foreground

STORYLINE:

One day after Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded his Russia investigation, President Donald Trump spent Saturday in Palm Beach, at his estate Mar-a-Lago and golfing at his golf club.

Trump has relentlessly criticized Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt" but was uncharacteristically quiet after the revelation Friday night that there are no additional indictments from Mueller.

Instead the White House sought to keep some distance, saying it had not seen or been briefed on the report.

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler says the responsibility to look into US President Donald Trump's "crimes, lies and other wrongdoing" falls on Congress, and he has vowed to finish the work Special Counsel Robert Mueller has done.

Nadler made the comments in New York Wednesday in response to the special counsel's earlier remarks about the investigation - Mueller's first public statement since his redacted report was made public in April.

"Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion," Nadler said.

"Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented a special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump," he added.

"We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

Mueller's first public statement on the Russia investigation is fuelling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Surprising Washington with his first public statement on the Russia investigation, Mueller indicated Wednesday that it's up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings.

The special counsel said he was bound by Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, but stressed he could not exonerate Trump.

Instead, he said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system."

And he made clear that the process won't include him, announcing the special counsel's office is closing — and that his testimony to Congress, should he be forced to deliver it, will not go beyond what his report already says.

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Wide of Rep. Jerrold Nadler making his way to podium ++SHOT CONTINUES INTO NEXT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Good afternoon. First, I want to thank Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his service to our nation over the past two years. Mr. Mueller and his team of prosecutors and investigators worked tirelessly to follow the facts and pursue justice to the furthest extent allowed. Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. In a statement this morning, special counsel Mueller reaffirmed his report: It found substantial evidence that Russia attacked our political system, that the Trump campaign benefited from Russian interference, that Trump and those around him repeatedly welcomed Russia's support, and that throughout the subsequent investigation, Trump sought to obstruct Mueller time and time again. Special Counsel Mueller today repeated three central points, which are critical for the American people. One, the special counsel did not exonerate the president of the United States of obstruction of justice. Two, obstruction of justice of which Special Counsel Muller found substantial evidence, is a serious crime that strikes at the core of our justice system. Three, the constitution points to Congress to take action to hold the president accountable for his misconduct. Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump. We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday boasted that US President Donald Trump's tough line had forced the North Korean leader to beg to re-schedule a high-profile summit after the president abruptly called off the meeting.

After the cancellation, "Kim Jong Un got back on his hands and knees and begged for it, which is exactly the position you want to put him in," Giuliani told a business conference in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

In an interview later with The Associated Press, Giuliani rejected suggestions that such comments might sour the atmosphere ahead of next week's summit in Singapore, saying that the North Korean leader must understand that the United States is in a position of strength.

"It is pointing out that the president is the stronger figure," Giuliani told the AP. "And you're not going to have useful negotiations unless he accepts that."

Giuliani said Trump had no choice but to call off the meeting after the North Koreans insulted Vice President Mike Pence, National Security Adviser John Bolton and threatened "nuclear annihilation" of the U.S.

"President Trump didn't take that. What he did was he called off the summit," he said.

Giuliani said Kim quickly changed his position, expressed willingness to discuss denuclearization and asked to have the meeting again.

"That's what I mean by begging for it," Giuliani said.

The summit is back on in Singapore next Tuesday.

Giuliani, Trump's lawyer in the Russian investigation, noted that he was sharing a personal opinion and was not part of the U.S. foreign policy team.

The former New York mayor is in Israel for a number of appearances, including a speech to a Tel Aviv business conference earlier in the day and an address late on Wednesday to OneFamily, a group that supports Israeli families whose loved ones have been wounded or killed in Palestinian attacks.

Giuliani is leading the defence of Trump in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump associates coordinated with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, and whether Trump took steps to shut down that investigation through actions, including the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Trump's team and allies have waged a public relations campaign against Mueller and the Justice Department to discredit the investigation and soften the impact of the special counsel's potential findings. In the latest salvo, Giuliani accused Mueller of trying to "frame" the president.

Giuliani claimed that Mueller has produced no evidence of wrongdoing by the president, and has stacked his team with partisan Democrats, including supporters of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Though Trump insists he did nothing wrong, the statements from him and his lawyers have made clear that much of their defence revolves around establishing that he was constitutionally empowered to take the actions he took.

Giuliani rejected criticism that the defence team is attacking the justice system or public institutions.

"We're trying to purify institutions," he added, accusing the media of trying to convict Trump and saying the prosecutors are "not saints" immune from attack.

Nonetheless, Giuliani said he remains in touch with Mueller, and that there have been discussions about allowing investigators to question the president. But he said his client needs assurances he won't be railroaded.

He said so far, Mueller has not produced evidence indicating wrongdoing by the president

“What I’m saying is that (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un had someone say terrible things about (US) Vice President (Mike) Pence. Terrible things about (National Security Advisor) John Bolton. And then had someone threaten nuclear annihilation of the United States. (US) President (Donald) Trump didn’t take that. What he did was he called off the summit and he was widely criticised for it. And Kim Jong Un changed his position. He said he was going to do denuclearisation. Again, we don’t have the conditions yet but at least that's a big shift and asked to have the meeting again. And that’s what I mean by 'begging for it'.”

"It is pointing out that the president is the stronger figure and you're not going to have useful negotiations unless he accepts that. And my words don't matter - I'm not involved in the negotiations. But my comments as a citizen are very important."

"In order to try to develop evidence against him, they have brought a number of very questionable cases. The prosecution of Mr. (Paul) Manafort for things in 2005 that had nothing to do with President Trump. I can't imagine why...whether Mr. Manafort did something wrong or not - I cant judge. But I can say it has nothing to do with President Trump. And then these Russians that were indicted, who are never going to come to the United States, who play dirty tricks like dressing up as clowns. If that is Russian collusion, I don't know maybe it is. But, the real question is there's not a single link to anybody in America. So what's that about if it isn't trying to formulate a case on the president when there is no evidence for it. A judge recently said that this investigation is more like investigating a man than a crime. Because, they don't have a crime. And that's why I say 'they're trying to frame him.' Because, if they had any sense they would realise they're trying to put together a case on an innocent man and that's what we call in America 'framing somebody'."

"We're trying to purify institutions. You're just part of that whole...media that wants to turn around and convict President Trump when he's done nothing wrong. And nobody wants to recognise that that's what these people are engaged in. Well it's my job to defend a client and if I have to take on an Attorney General or an independent council, by God, I'll take them on. I'm not the first lawyer to do that. When someone is unfairly prosecuting you, you have got to point that out loudly and clearly - this is an unfair investigation. It has no basis in fact. President Trump did not talk to, meet with, or have anything to do with Russians at any time during the 2016 election. That is a totally phoney charge. And over a year-and-a-half and 20 million dollars later they don't have a single piece of proof that he did. Now, if you aren't framing him, then stop the investigation, put out your report and let the chips fall where they may."

"If they can show us some hard incriminating facts from that evidence, then we would consider advising our client to be interviewed. But, if we don't see it, then we have to conclude that we're not dealing with a fair-minded group of people."

"Not only did (Robert) Mueller bring in heavy Democratic partisans to conduct the investigation of a Republican, he's also using the FBI agents who conducted the totally unfair, totally biased, in the other direction, investigation of Hillary Clinton. They should have used new agents, not agents that have conducted probably one of the most flawed investigations in American history."

US President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday said Special Counsel Robert Mueller needs to turn in a report on his investigation into alleged Trump campaign collusion with Russia by September or risk meddling with the midterm elections.

He pointed out that former FBI Director James Comey reopened the Hillary Clinton email investigation just before the 2016 election, calling it "horrible".

Giuliani spoke to reporters during a White House event on sports and fitness.

POOL

Washington DC - 30 May 2018

1. Rudy Giuliani, attorney for US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters outside White House during sports fitness event.

UPSOUND: Giuliani: "By September 1st,the public should have an explanation of what (Special Counsel Robert) Mueller has. I really want that because I don't think he has much."

(++reporter questions++)

Guiliani: "I don't know what.. they can get rid of the Trump situation without Manafort (Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign manager). In fact, that may be the only way they can prosecute Manafort. The judge in that case, Ellis (T. S. Ellis III, judge in Manafort case), very harsh about not being authorised and they're only doing it to trap Trump. So, if Trump is cleared, then there'd be a lot more to the Manafort. Thank you."

(++reporter asks how Robert Mueller is meddling in the midterm elections++)

Giuliani: "He's not. Well, he will. If he doesn't file his report by September first, mid-September, he's clearly doing a Comey (former FBI Director James Comey)."

Giuliani: "Damn right they do. That may be a mistake. Maybe the American people have concluded that impeachment is not proper. They're going to do everything they can to say they aren't going to impeach him. Everybody in this town knows."

(++reporter asks Guiliani what he meant++):

"Meaning meddling in the election. Doing Hillary (former Democratic presidential candidate and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) in July. Doing Hillary again in late October. And then pulling back on the investigation. The weekend before the election? Horrible. You're going to get a report from (Dept. of Justice Inspector General Michael) Horowitz that will explain all that."

For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

"Coming out of this weekend, there are a lot of questions about how President Trump views Bob Mueller's future as the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia meddling and also issues like obstruction of justice. The president was really aggressive in his tweets targeting Mueller by name which is something that we haven't really seen him do over the last several months. He will often talk about how this investigation is a witch hunt but he moved a step forward, going after Mueller directly. And this has sparked a lot of concern that the president, following the firing of Andrew McCabe, is feeling emboldened, feeling like the next target is going to be Bob Mueller. And you even saw John Dowd, who's one of the president's lawyers, seemed to fuel that speculation further by saying he thinks that the Mueller investigation should end. Now, John Dowd told the AP that he has not discussed this with the president, that he is not asking for Mueller to be fired immediately. But it really just contributed to this atmosphere where there's a lot of uncertainty on whether the president would be willing to make this step. The weekend ended with a different Trump lawyer, Ty Cobb, saying nothing to see here. The president is not seeking to fire the special counsel."

"But for Republican law makers in particular, this is a huge moment. Because they have said, repeatedly, that if the president were to try to cross this line to try to remove Bob Mueller from this investigation, that it would cross a red line for them. Lindsey Graham has gone so far as to say it would be the start of the end of Trump's presidency. There are things that Republicans could do legislatively to try to protect the special counsel investigation. So far though they haven't been willing to take that step. It would be a step basically designed to insulate Bob Muller from anything that the president would be willing to do."

"The president typically will try to test out messages and test out how far he could go with something. And that's some of what it seemed like he was doing this weekend - throwing out the prospect that he might even fire Bob Muller and seeing if Republicans reacted. And when he's done this with Republicans, he's found pretty much the same thing. There will sometimes be some tough rhetoric from GOP leaders, there will sometimes be some veiled criticism of him, but ultimately, they don't really follow through. There have been very few instances where Republicans have really said, 'No Mr. President, we're going to stop you from doing this.' And the president sees that and he he believes that ultimately Republicans will let him do what he wants. That is some of the discussion that's taking place this week among the GOP leadership. Is this different, is the firing of a special counsel who's investigating the White House different than something that the president wants to do on tariffs or even on foreign policy?"